When it comes time to upgrade to a new iPhone, you have a good number of options for getting some value out of your old one. If you’re on an upgrade program with your carrier—or on Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program—the process may simply involve turning in your current phone and getting a new one. If you aren’t on such a plan, though, and you aren’t planning to hand down the old phone to a family member or friend, selling it will help offset the cost of a new one.

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You could list the old phone on Craigslist or eBay and hope for the best, but that’s a labor-intensive process with no guaranteed results and some potential pitfalls. One Wirecutter staffer who has sold several iPhones on eBay has seen the US Postal Service lose a phone before the package even left his town. Another phone was stolen by a buyer who claimed—falsely, it was later revealed—that an unauthorized person had signed for the package at his address.

Instead, you can use one of several buyback services that have popped up in the past few years. These services generally offer a lower price than you might get by selling your old iPhone yourself, but the process is much easier. (By the way—whichever service you choose, make sure to securely wipe your old device before you sell it.)

Jackie Dove at Tom’s Guide thoroughly vetted seven services for buying and selling used devices after the iPhone 7 was released in September 2016. Tom’s Guide staff purchased a used iPhone from each reseller and then sold the same phone back to the service. Glyde ended up offering the highest return at 74 percent of the purchase price, followed by Swappa at 70 percent. Popular website Gazelle gave only a 52 percent return, but Dove noted the “quick and easy resale process.” In 2015, Business Insider checked out several services and found Gazelle to offer the greatest number of payout options, with Best Buy and Apple offering the highest dollar value, though in the form of store credit.

We haven’t tested all of these companies, but I’ve personally used Gazelle to sell an old iPhone, and the service is impressively easy to use: After you evaluate the condition of your phone, the site makes you an offer for it. You can then choose to have Gazelle send you a prepaid shipping box or a prepaid FedEx or USPS label. Once the company receives the phone and verifies its condition, Gazelle pays you via PayPal, a check, or Amazon credit, or you can choose to donate the money—with an extra 5 percent bonus—to charity. The company makes things easier for buyers, too, with a 30-day return policy. I’ve used the service multiple times, and each time the process has worked as promised, and Gazelle has paid the quoted price with no hassle. You may be able to get more money on eBay, but there’s much more work and uncertainty involved.

Swappa works a bit differently in that it simply acts as an escrow agent between individuals—you’re selling to someone you haven’t met, with Swappa coordinating the transaction. Tom’s Guide found that Swappa offers a higher return, but you have to use PayPal, and generally you need a verified shipping address. You set your own price for the sale (though Swappa provides some pricing trends and guidelines), and immediately after posting, you’ll usually have to deal with multiple offers of “I’ll buy it right now for $100!” Packaging, shipping, and communication with potential buyers is on you. One Wirecutter editor has had fairly good luck across eight sales and purchases, but he once received an iPhone that was locked to a carrier though it had been advertised as being unlocked. The sale had gone through and the money had been exchanged; if Swappa offered any option to report a problem, beyond leaving seller feedback, it wasn’t apparent. (The company admits that conducting transactions through its service involves a certain amount of risk, and it indicates that people should rely on PayPal’s purchase-protection policy.) In general, Swappa feels—and is—more “buyer beware” than Gazelle.

If your phone turns out not to be worth anything to these trade-in services, consider recycling it. Or hold on to the old iPhone! It could be useful as a game device for the kids, as a dedicated music player in the car, or just as an emergency phone in case something happens to your new one.

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Knowing how to use your old gear is better than having new gear you don't know how to use.